Earle,

Thank you for your concern, but you completely misinterpreted the FM ESSENTIAL promotion. Please let me explain.... I'll break it down in plain language:
_ The FM ESSENTIAL is a free App from Yamaha. You can download it from the App Store.
_ It can be used with any iOS device (iPhone/iPad) with a USB camera adapter and USB cable. (It's listed under iPhone but runs in x2 mode on iPads).
_ When you download the App you get about 10 or 12 sounds and no ability to SAVE. (locked)

In order to 'unlock' the App all you need to do is take your i-OS Device (and cable/adapter) to your local friendly brick and mortar Music shop (authorized Yamaha dealer) and ask for a demo of the new Yamaha MX (comes in 49, 61 and now 88-key Graded Hammer action) - they will happily 'unlock' your FM ESSENTIAL app for you... in exchange for stopping in, saying 'Hi' and getting a demo.

The promotion is aimed at getting you off your comfortable sofa, and down to your friendly neighborhood music store... reintroduce yourself to your local Yamaha dealer, they've missed you! They'll be happy to UNLOCK your FM ESSENTIAL for you in exchange for allowing them to introduce you to the new lineup of Yamaha MX Music Synthesizers.

It's that simple. From then on your FM ESSENTIAL app is unlocked, with over 270 sounds, the editing can be saved; once unlocked it becomes fully enabled from then on. Even if you don't purchase an MX, the fully unlocked App is yours to keep!

As you'll see and hear, because the new MX is fully iOS compatible, the iOS device's audio will be automatically merged to the MX's main L&R Outputs so no additional audio connection is necessary. (Also true for the MOXF, and the Montage)

And thank you for being a loyal Yamaha customer. When you stop in, tell them Yamaha sent you!
Hope that helps! Enjoy!

Thank you Bad Mister. That Helps. Found 2 dealers here in the Santa Barbara, CA area. Hope they know about this promotion. Will call first before going over and report back if there is a problem. Will take a print out of your post. This solves the issue. Thanks again.

I'd like to expand on this issue a little. Not all of us have neighborhood music stores that are "friendly" to keyboardists. Where I am, we have a Sam Ash and a Guitar Center, both of whom relegate their keyboard departments to a dark back corner of their otherwise huge stores which are packed to the gills with guitars, basses, and drum equipment.

They might keep six to eight keyboards on display with almost no back stock, which is why I rarely go there. They may be authorized Yamaha dealers, but I can assure you they don't miss me or any of my fellow keyboard players. They make it pretty obvious they couldn't give much less of a darn.

And I don't really want to have to drive to the next biggest city, an hour each way, in hopes that their Guitar Center might have just a few more boards on display that might include an MX just so I can unlock an iPhone app.

So for those of us who have already sunk hundreds and thousands of dollars into Yamaha gear like the Montage and multiple Refaces, maybe Yamaha could throw us a bone on the unlock code for the app.

Just sayin'...

"....which is why I rarely go there."

And this is evidence of exactly WHY the promotion exists. If you haven't been there recently, the idea was precisely to get you to reintroduce yourself to your local music store. I know you see these stores as some kind of abstract building, just an object, but in my thirty years of visiting them for Yamaha, I can see each one as being made up of musicians working a day job, making money while trying to make a living playing music. It's your fellow local musicians who work there. How you treat each other is a regional thing...

Now true, some stores take on a cold, institutional vibe, but that's just how people treat each other in your area, perhaps, and is certainly not a universal situation. You should call first, they can tell you if they have one on display... so you don't have to travel unnecessarily. Give them a call. It could be that they lack a keyboard player on staff... so the lack of passion for things related to synths might be lacking or missing (I've seen that be a reason for what you describe) if no keyboard players from your area are working at local shops, who's to urge management to 'get one of those new xyz synths in here'... who's to go the extra yard to make sure it's properly displayed, if the store is full of guitar players and drummers, that might unfortunately, taint your perception of how you're treated some what. But don't take it personally, remember they're probably musicians too... just sayin'

As you are a loyal Yamaha customer, we thank you and appreciate your loyalty; we have a free synth app or two for you... do you have the Yamaha Synthbook app? (Listed under iPhone, but can run on iPad in x2 mode) it's got a programmable synth like FM ESSENTIAL only it's analog modeling. Free, downloadable, unlocked...

But use your phone, call, let them know what you're interested in. Talk to the Store Manager or Keyboard Department Manager (they are more likely to be aware of a synth promotion). Then the MX "FM to GO" promotion will have done some good... local music stores are full of musicians working day jobs! You'll find you can relate to them on this common ground.

I guess it's a chicken-and-egg thing. I don't go there because they don't stock and display much of anything, they don't stock and display much of anything because I don't go there.

My frustration really isn't with Yamaha, it's with those places. When the Montage was first released, I called around everywhere within a 100 miles to find out if anyone would be carrying them and would have a display model I could try first hand. Everyone I talked to in the respective keyboard/synth departments said they had no display model and they were not expecting to stock any, but they could order one for purchase if I wanted.

Well, I could just as easily order one myself and have it delivered even more quickly than they could, so that was no great offer of assistance. The point was to see it, hear it, and feel it in person before plunking down $4K. None of those musician-by-night guys expressed any interest in even finding out if and when they could possibly get a display, either from their supplier or their regional Yamaha rep.

So relying on the demo Blake Angelos gave at NAMM and the comments of other early reviewers, I took a chance and ordered a Montage 8 from a large online retailer-- who, you know, actually had them in stock ready to ship-- largely on faith. Fortunately, it did not disappoint in the least. 😉

I get that the point of the app is to promote firsthand exposure to the MX and not necessarily to boost the appeasement of existing Yamaha users. It's just the notion of requiring me to go back to those brick-and-mortar stores, who I honestly believe couldn't care less about their synth sales, in order to unlock this app I'm interested in strikes me as a little absurd.

I'd rather just pay directly for the app to be unlocked.

But, fine. Maybe some day I'll stumble across a good deal on an MX and get one. Hopefully the app is still supported then.

Thanks for your reply, Bad Mister.

Well it's taken me since April 21 to finally go to my local Yamaha dealer in Santa Barbara, as I normally buy all synth type products on line from Sweetwater. However, I am back into the music side of life and I want all the currently locked sounds in FM Essentials. So I remembered Bad Mister's response in this thread:

"In order to 'unlock' the App all you need to do is take your i-OS Device (and cable/adapter) to your local friendly brick and mortar Music shop (authorized Yamaha dealer) and ask for a demo of the new Yamaha MX (comes in 49, 61 and now 88-key Graded Hammer action) - they will happily 'unlock' your FM ESSENTIAL app for you... in exchange for stopping in, saying 'Hi' and getting a demo.

The promotion is aimed at getting you off your comfortable sofa, and down to your friendly neighborhood music store... reintroduce yourself to your local Yamaha dealer, they've missed you! They'll be happy to UNLOCK your FM ESSENTIAL for you in exchange for allowing them to introduce you to the new lineup of Yamaha MX Music Synthesizers. "

Problem is my local authorized Yamaha dealer didn't know what I was talking about and had no MXs anyway. I don't know if this promotion is still available and I don't want to spend hours phoning numerous other dealers who have no idea what I am talking about and go through the verbal hoops until maybe I find one familiar with the promotion and is located less than 100 miles from my home.

So my question are:

1. Is the promotion still on and if not, how do I unlock all of the locked sounds in FM Essentials without going to a store with an MX on the floor?
2. If the promotion is on, do you know of a dealer near zip code 93108 who has an MX and knows about the promotion (you must have records of which dealers received and still have an MX)?
3. If I walk into a store that has an MX and just go up to it with my cable and connect my iPad does the connection itself unlock these other sounds or does a salesperson have to enter something for the unlock? Reason I am asking is that if I find a clueless salesperson, I would not need their help or knowledge for the unlock or have to explain anything.

Thanks in advance. Will try to act on your advice a little faster next time.;)

Here is the link: FM GO

This includes a Dealer Locator (by Zip Code)... Call first, obviously. Let them know what you’re interested in... not all dealers carry Synthesizers.

1. Is the promotion still on and if not, how do I unlock all of the locked sounds in FM Essentials without going to a store with an MX on the floor?

Yes, the FM GO promotion is still on.

2. If the promotion is on, do you know of a dealer near zip code 93108 who has an MX and knows about the promotion (you must have records of which dealers received and still have an MX)?

Yes, I’m sure someone does... you can type in your own Zip Code on the promotion page’s Deal Locator... it, to be fair will list all Yamaha dealers within a reasonable distance to your address... if you cannot find one through this Dealer Locator, let me know, and I’ll have the regional district manager have someone from the nearest store contact you.

3. If I walk into a store that has an MX and just go up to it with my cable and connect my iPad does the connection itself unlock these other sounds or does a salesperson have to enter something for the unlock? Reason I am asking is that if I find a clueless salesperson, I would not need their help or knowledge for the unlock or have to explain anything.

If you find a “clueless” sales person, we hope you would ‘school them’ on the FM Essential app, and show them how to unlock it. They’ll thank you, we thank you. Look, they are likely synth fans too, and would appreciate the heads up on the free app! Tell a friend! That’s the spirit here...

Is it a possibility that you find a “clueless” sales person? well yes, of course, new sales people join music stores all the time but since October was the most recent regional store trainings, and the fact that MX is a very hot selling item... if the person you encounter has been there at least a month, they likely have been trained on unlocking the app and on the MX49/MX61 and MX88.

Be sure to try the “Combination” Bank... the App can Bulk a Program Change to the MX49/61 or MX88 so that the FM Essential sound layers with the MX sound, for each of the 15 sounds in that special Bank... the sound of the FM Essential goes through MX sound system via the USB connection. This shows off the layering possibilities. The Knobs of the MX allow you to adjust the sound in real time.

Thank you Bad Mister for the FM GO link and information. Glad the promotion is still on and appreciate your explanation. I will contact some other local dealers. I agree about the spirit of sharing. So much so that I educated that last salesperson on what an MX was, what Yamaha music related apps were and even got my iPad and demoed FM Essentials. This particular store primarily sells Yamaha band instruments and had a beautiful selection, but discussing Yamaha synths was like speaking in another language (no political incorrectness intended, but if you want to get a point across it helps if both the speaker and listener are speaking the same language). Anyway, on to the next store. I have my demo kit on the ready: FMGO link, Yamaha Synth Forum/MX link, cable and iPad. Hope it's easier next time and there are some MXs on display in other local Yamaha stores I can link with- and not have to plug first and talk later. Will "call" back if there is a problem. Thanks again.

To follow up, I went to another store that had an MX on the floor. The store was about 40 miles from my home. Anyway, none of the sales persons knew what I was talking about concerning the FM GO program to connect an iPad to the MX to unlock all the sounds. However, I SHARED MY KNOWLEDGE and they were kind enough to let me try to make it happen. So I connected the iPad to USB port on MX (I have have a lightening adapter) and wow, it instantly worked. Also I also connected my iPhone and again instant success. great feature. My suggestion is to improve the CP4 (that's what I use- very satisfied) by having one USB cable the transfers audio and MIDI back and forth as does the MX. Thanks Bad Mister for your help.

Rather than start a new topic: I'm just now getting around to looking at the paperwork that came with my MX-61and found out about FM Essential. Is it possible to unlock FM Essential using my new (October 2017) MX-61 without going to a dealer? I have a USB printer cable connected to the "To Host" (square) USB port on the MX, the cable connected to an Apple Lightning to USB camera adapter and the camera adapter connected to my iPhone 8 (or 5, it doesn't matter). For whatever reason, I cannot use my MX to unlock it.

Try setting the MIDI I/O = USB

We see you have a standard 5-pin MIDI cable attached. The app uses the USB connection!

T

Bad Mister wrote:

Try setting the MIDI I/O = USB

We see you have a standard 5-pin MIDI cable attached. The app uses the USB connection!

Thank you. The MIDI setting was what was wrong. I was able to unlock the app in seconds after changing the setting. The DIN cable is connected to a Studiologic bass pedal board which was why MIDI I/O was set to MIDI. It appears as if it is not possible to use the DIN and USB inputs simultaneously.

Thank you very much for the assistance!